Quebec restaurant association calls for legalized tip sharing to attract workers
In the current economy, getting people to want to work in the restaurant industry can be a hard sell.
One of the job's perks is tips, but they don't go to everyone equally.
"The legislation is quite clear about who tip money belongs to," said Roger Costa, managing partner at Weinstein & Gavino's.
Under Quebec's Employment Standards Act, tip money goes to the servers, and the cash can't be shared with other employees like cooks unless staff agree.
The Quebec association that represents restaurants wants to change that and is lobbying the provincial government so tips can be more evenly shared to attract more back-of-house staff.
Costa says that while kitchen staff will be happy, it will be hard to convince servers who rely on the extra 15 per cent.
"If you take from Paul to pay Peter, well, you've upset Paul," said Costa.
On average, back-of-house staff make around 12 per cent less than servers even though they're paid a higher hourly wage.
Some restaurants, however, already share tips between front and back-of-house and say it's done little to fix their staffing shortages.
"There's inflation and a shortage of labour, and, every month, it seems to get more and more difficult for business owners," said Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) vice-president Francois Vincent.
The CFIB said the situation has only gotten worse over the summer, with 65 per cent of Quebec restaurants remaining short-staffed at 10 per cent higher than the national average.
"It is the sector that has the highest job vacancy rate and by far," said Vincent.
Costa said the answer is giving back-of-house staff a raise instead of pooling tips.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.